Sign carrier



J. D. AUSTIN AND T. ROBERTS.

SIGN CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 13, 1921..

1,422,911. Patented y 18, 1922.

wall I ATTORNEY.

JAMES n. ausrxnann Tnonns nonnnrs, or HARRISBURG, innrlvors.v

SIGN oennrnn. I I

Specification of Letters Patent. I 'patgnted July 18, 1922,

Application filed December 13, 1921. Serial No. 522,131.

To all 1071077207 may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES D. .ius'rrn and 'lHoMAs ROBERTS, citizens of the United States. residing at Harrisburg in the county of Saline and State of Illinois. have invented certain new and useful Inugrovements in Sign Carriers. of which the followinc; is a specification.

This invention relates to signs or information imparting devices, and has for one of its objects to provide a simply constructed device whereby members carrying designating characters may be removably supported and in position to be easily changed as required.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character including a housing adapted to support an illuminating medium and with improved means for movably supporting character carrying members in position to be displayed by said illuminating medium.

With these and other objects in view. the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims. and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention;-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved device.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the supporting structure for the information carrying members.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section enlarged. on the line of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4; is an enlarged detail perspective view of a portion of the upper part of the supporting structure, illustrating the construction of the clip device.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective detail of a portion of the lower part of the supporting structure, illustrating the coustruction of the supporting mechanism for the lower edges of the information bearing members.

The improved device comprises a supporting structure preferably in the form of a housing or casing, represented as a whole at 10, and with openings 11 in the side walls and adapted to support light imparting mediums. for instance electric light bulbs indicated conventionally at 12.

The structure 10 may be of any length and width and provided. with any number of the openings 11 and arranged in any desired order. but for the purpose of illustration a structure is shown with an opening at each end and at each side extending the fullheight of the housing, and two intermediate openings separated by rail members 13. At the lower part of each of the openings 11. thematerial of'the housing and the rails 13 being bent inwardly to form a concaved seat or bearing let.

Attached to the side walls of the housing at the lower edges and likewise at the ends of-the supports 13, are clip devices 15, coacting with theseats '13 to form bearings for rods 16, and in which they are rotativcly supported.

Each of the rods 16 is formed with a longitudinal groove or seat 1'7. and likewise provided with combined turning and holding rod 18, the latter each carrying a slotted guide plate 19 operating over a pin 20 projecting from the adjacent wall of the housing and from one of the dividing rails between the end. and intermediate openings. By this means the rods may be oscillated in their bearings and the extent of the movement limited by the lengths of the slots in the plates 19.

Hingedly united at 2i to the housing 10 at each side above the openings 11.. is a holdlug strip 22. and hingeolly united at 23 to each of the dividing rails 13 is another and similar holding strip 24-. the hinges being of the spring form as illustrated. in Fig. 4:, so that the holding members will be yieldably held in their dmvuwardly directed positions.

Fitting by their lower edges in the seats 17 and by their upper edges beneath the yieldable members and 24, are plates 25, preferably of translucent material such as ground glass. and. carrying designating characters or pictures. as shown. Each of the plates is preferably provided with a border or binding of felt or the like repre sented at 26. to protect the plates. and likew e form paclcings to prevent the light from passing between the edges of the plates.

\Vhen the plates are to be installed or changed. the rods 18 are moved upwardly to turn the rod 16 outwardly to dispose the seats 17 in a for uirdly inclined position to enaliile the lower edges of the plates to be inserted or removed. the members 22 or as the case may be being at the same time turned upwardly against the resistance of the spring hinges, to enable the upper edges of the plates to be inserted beneath them,

and when this is done the holding members are released and bear over the upper edges of the plates to hold them in position.

The plates may be of any required size and containing any desired designating characters, but for the purpose of illustration a series of the plates are arranged to show the words Sound your top, for use more particularly in mines, to warn an employee to sound the root or his working place lJGiUl'Q entering, to ascertain its condition, or

liability to an.

In practice a plurality of the plates containing the letters'of the alphabet together with a plurality of opaque spare plates will be furnished, so that any required series of words may be built up, as will be obvious.

The larger openings at the ends may be utilized to contain pictures of any required kind as represented in Fig. 1.

The improved device will be suspended from the ceiling of the runway in mines or atother points where required, and may be constructed oi? any suitable material, but prelt'erahly of steel and (it any required size and of sufiicient strength to withstand the strains to which it will be subjected.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the drawings and set forth in the specification, but it will be understood that modifications within the scope of the claimed invention may be made in the construction without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the what is claimed as new is 1- 1. In a device of the class described, a supporting structure, a longitudinally grooved rod mounted for oscillation relative to said supporting structure, and adapted to receive one edge of a character bearing mem her, and a movable holding device carried by said supporting structure and engage-able with another edge of said character bearing member.

2. In a device of the class described, a supporting structure, a longitudinally grooved rod mounted for oscillation relative to said supporting structure and adapted to receive one edge of the character bearing member, a holding member, and means for yieldably supporting said holding member in engagement with another edge of said character bearing member.

In testimony whereof, we allix our signatures hereto.

invention,

JAlv'lES D. AUSTIN. THOMAS ROBERTS 

